


Unconventional Enough

by Leni



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-21 12:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4828826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just last week, they'd been agreed that they had a nice, comfortable fling with no strings attached. Now Emma was on the way to some small town she'd never heard of before, to meet people who would judge her (and find her wanting), and she wasn't even trying to jump off the car.</p><p>It had to be love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unconventional Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Written for reeby10 at [Comment Fic](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/654529.html?thread=88061633#t88061633). Prompt: **Yesterday we were f*** buddies and today I'm meeting his mom. That escalated quickly.**

Emma knew she'd get a blister on her thumb from rubbing it anxiously against the edge of her seatbelt for the last two hours. "I've been kidnapped," she grumbled for the hundredth time.

And for the hundredth time, her kidnapper chuckled.

Apparently, it wasn't enough that at twenty-eight years of age, she'd decided that love existed. Or that she'd been tricked into admitting to have fallen for this wretch. Oh, it wasn't even enough that Neal had been giving her that smug look for the last week, or that he insisted to hear her say those dreaded three words every night before they fell asleep....

Now he had to _share_ his happiness.

With his family.

Just last week, they'd been agreed that they had a nice, comfortable fling with no strings attached. Now Emma was on the way to some small town she'd never heard of before, to meet people who would judge her (and find her wanting), and she wasn't even trying to jump off the car.

It had to be love.

"I know a dozen ways to hit you unconscious," she told him.

"That's why I'm driving, dearest."

Oh, the pet names. She hated pet names!

"You're too trusting, aren't you? Bet you'd never see it coming."

His brown eyes twinkled. "I know." 

The worst part was, he sounded _thrilled_ by the thought. But then, he'd met her while Emma had been jacking open his buddy's car, looking for evidence he was the lowlife she'd been tracking for the last month, and he'd still asked her out. And she'd accepted, even after she'd found out that 'borrowing' August's car was a long-shot euphemism for a complicated prank.

"I know people who know people who can hide a body."

He grinned. "You say the sweetest things, Em. But you can stop now; we're here."

Joining action to words, he stopped the car and gave her an encouraging nod.

Emma licked her lips, not ready to get out yet. She didn't have any experience meeting the family of a guy she loved - heck, she didn't have any experience _loving_ a guy. Tucking her apprehension behind a brave face, she looked out of the car window. 

Neal had told her very little about his family, but from the way he dressed and acted it had always been obvious that he came from money. Emma expected a big house, perhaps one of those imposing gates and infinite, impossibly green lawns.

But this was....

Her brow knitted in confusion.

"This is a library."

"Yup."

Confusion turned to suspicion. "You lied?" She gave him an accusatory glance. "You said you were taking me to meet your family!"

Neal just gave her a placid smile.

Emma was too relieved to stay mad for long. "You doofus. You're too old for these pranks, no matter what your idiot best friend says."

The smile stayed in place, but his eyes laughed at her.

An uncomfortable thought struck her. "Because you _did_ lie, right?"

"There's just no good answer to that, in this case," he told her, opening the door and stepping out. "Come on, love. I brought you to the nice one first."

It wasn't fear, Emma told himself. 

It was just a healthy amount of distrust. It seemed impossible that there were more people like Neal, who was sunny-natured and always friendly and yet still liked her cynical, moody self.

"Still a library," she grumbled. "You're so weird."

"Believe me, this is for you," he promised. "You always want to know the real person, no polite masks. Mom doesn't get much more real than in her natural habitat." And before Emma could make a remark about that strange bit of information, or think too much about the importance of the next few moments, Neal called out loudly, "Hey, mom!"

There was a surprised yelp from behind the book shelves in the back, followed by a stumble and the crashing of something heavy onto the floor.

Both Emma and Neal winced at the sound, but Neal knew what was coming next, so he opened his arms wide.

A brunette practically sprang toward them, launching herself to hug him. "Neal!" she squealed, "you never said you'd come visit!"

Emma stared at the scene.

Distrust reared up, joined by jealousy and anger. Emma shoved the darker feelings down and told herself this must be a sister Neal had failed to mention.

Then the woman drew back her hand and - coming onto her tiptoes - slapped him across the forehead. "And I've asked you stop calling me that!" She turned to Emma, "Hi. You must be Emma, I'm Belle."

Emma blinked. "You're 'mom'?"

Blushing, Belle reached to tweak Neal's ear and spoke above his pained squeak, "Please, ignore the brat and call me Belle."

Emma took in the sight of them, with the woman's hand that came down to pat his shoulder and the way Neal grinned down at her. There was an ease between them that spoke of their familiarity, and Emma's heart gave a sigh of longing before she shut it up.

Baby steps. She could handle this whole 'in love' thing, only if she took very small, very careful _baby steps._

She put her hand forward. "Hi. Yes, I'm Emma, and that brat likes to embarrass me as well."

Belle grinned, giving her hand a strong pump. "You're everything he told us, and some more, I bet." Emma wasn't given the time to wonder how exactly Neal had described her, that it had his family so enthused about meeting her. "I'm glad you've finally been able to come!"

Something in Emma's face must have given up the truth of the situation, because Belle rolled his eyes. "Bad boy," she told Neal. "Still, if you've made it here and you haven't clobbered him, then you must like him indeed."

"I've considered that," Emma said dryly.

Belle laughed, seeming to gauge whether the occasion merited a hug, and then shrugging a little when she decided not to try. 

Emma liked her more for that; she did like her personal space.

"You have the advantage," she told Neal's... stepmom?... with a sincere smile. "I see now that Neal hasn't told me nearly enough about you."

Belle rolled her eyes. "And made you think you had all the facts already, didn't he? He's got a way with words, this one. Please feel free to blame his dad's side of the family."

Well, Neal _obviously_ hadn't gotten it from hers. 

It was a dare, if Emma had ever heard one. She bet that this was the moment everyone asked whether Belle could possibly be older than her stepson.

"And he got your nose, I guess?"

Belle looked delighted.

Neal burst into a laugh. "You should be glad I didn't get dad's!"

"Oh, hush," Belle said as she elbowed him. "He looks very distinguished, I'll have you know."

"And _that_ ," Neal said, making a show of rubbing the spot she'd hit, "is true love. Just as blind as in the fairytales."

Belle gave a mock scowl, but almost immediately shooed him off. "Get my purse from the back office. We'll close down early and make it a family day." At Emma's surprise, she explained, "It's all right. I'm my own boss."

"She owns the building, she means," Neal piped up. "Engagement present. The old man really knew how to seal the deal."

Belle's smile didn't deny anything. 

The two women stood side by side as Neal disappeared among the book shelves. When he was out of earshot, Emma spoke first, "Say it."

Belle gave her an approving look. "I love that guy," she started, her voice fond. "He could have made my life a lot harder than it already was, when I accepted his father's proposal." Emma could imagine. A small town, a pretty young girl marrying an older and richer guy. Must have required all the bravery in the world, to go through with it. "Which means that I want the best for him."

Emma snorted. "And I'm not."

Belle's eyebrows shot up. "What? No! He _adores_ you, which means you must be right for him. He's got a good head on his shoulders; he always did."

"But..."

The look they shared said they understood each other before the words were said. Belle drew herself up, and though she barely reached up to Emma's nose, Emma intuited this was a force she didn't want against her.

"But you hurt him, and I'll hunt you down and make you regret it."

Emma nodded, accepting that. After a beat, she sighed a little. "Neal said you're the nice one. Not sure I'm looking forward to what comes next."

Belle shook her head. "Don't worry about that. His dad is ready to like you; anything that makes Neal happy, makes my husband happy. And if things went wrong between the two of you, he'll be too busy making sure Neal's all right to bother about you."

"So it's you I should worry about?"

Belle smiled, and it was the smile of a woman who had already stood up for those she loved, and wasn't afraid to do it again. 

Emma respected that. "Gotcha."

Neal came back then, and the purse in his hand came flying at Belle. The brunette shrieked and scrambled for it, giving Emma a grateful smile when she caught it and passed it to her. "Breakables?"

Belle blushed. "No."

"More like her current reading material. As if she didn't have access to a truckload of books every day," Neal said, shaking his head fondly. "I only saw two novels in there, though. Getting eye-strain in your old age, mom?"

"Unnatural son," Belle muttered, tucking the purse under her arm.

Neal beamed at that.

Emma had to laugh at the exchange, her last remaining nerves vanishing at last. Conventional families had always been an enigma to her, a puzzle where she hadn't been able to fit no matter how she'd wished for it when she'd been little. Her fear that she wouldn't be accepted had bubbled up again, a reminder from before she'd learned to pretend she didn't care. 

But her worry seemed ridiculous now. Neal's family wasn't conventional at all, and at least Belle was ready to welcome her now that Emma knew the score. Unless Neal's dad was a complete jerk, Emma had the feeling she would enjoy herself today.

She could handle this now.

"Ready to see the Storybrooke monster, Em?" That drew an exasperated groan from Belle, but he'd already placed himself out of her reach. He laughed and put an arm around Emma's waist. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"Don't listen to him," Belle said at the same time. "He kept jumping off tables and windowsills as a kid, his dad says. Must have hit his head a dozen times." She made a sad noise. "Never a coherent thought again."

Emma remembered a thin scar on his temple. "You said you were in an accident."

"Sure." Belle snickered. "Accidentally grabbed the defective pixie dust."

Emma blinked in confusion.

"It was a phase," Neal defended himself.

"A Disney phase," Belle agreed, still smirking.

Neal glared at her. "You're as mean as Dad," he told her, then sulked when Belle nodded proudly. "I was three."

"Six," Belle corrected. "There are pictures. He looked so cute in green!"

"Peter Pan?" Emma finally caught on. Neal's abashed face confirmed it. "That's either the most adorable thing I've heard, or the silliest."

"Adorable." Neal was quick to choose. "I'm adorable."

When Emma glanced at him as if in doubt, Belle switched sides. "He's a good guy, and quite handsome to the eye," she told Emma. "Plus, he'll fight off any pirate. You should keep him, just in case."

Emma wondered how she'd fallen into this conversation. "In case I run into pirates?"

Belle chuckled. "Could happen. Better safe than sorry, I think."

Emma made as to consider that, then turned to Neal. "So you'll fight for my honor?"

"To the death," he promised.

There was an earnest note in his voice, but Emma pretended she hadn't noticed. She'd just admitted that she loved this man; meaningful oaths would have to wait a couple months at least. Baby steps. "So you'll just rush in without pausing to consider a joint strategy." Emma made a tutting noise. "I'm the one with a gun, remember?"

Neal stared at her for a second, seeming to hesitate between a grin and an apology. Then he turned to Belle. "How did I get into this?"

"You wore out the Peter Pan video. Twice."

"It's always Pan's fault," Neal decided.

Emma laughed at that.

They were ridiculous. But they were obviously fond of each other, and they were making an effort to include her in their insane conversation.

She could get used to it.

She could be happy, and perhaps even learn to fit in.

Now she only had to convince herself that the idea wasn't the scariest of all.

 

The End  
19/09/15


End file.
